/ 21 August 1997

Iscor closes veteran Pretoria mill

THURSDAY, 11.00AM:

ISCOR is to mothball its ageing Pretoria steel mill, the comapny said on Wednesday, a move that will result in the loss of more than 1 000 jobs.

Iscor MD Louis van Niekerk said the closure of the group’s oldest steel mill will cost about R1-billion, but he added this will not have an effect on headline earnings.

“The impact on the financial results for the 1997 financial year will be disclosed as an exceptional item and will be excluded from headline earnings. It will be written off against retained earnings in the balance sheet. The annual results will be published on August 28 1997,” said Van Niekerk.

Iscor’s Pretoria Works have not been profitable since the 1980s.